Missing Link (LK=CT)

Mr. F. Ralph Sitter PS #1025 is searching for the ancestry of DAVID PARKS who is believed to have been born in Pennsylvania about 1790.

One of the researchers believes that a ROBERT PARKS who died in 1813 in Beaver Co PA is the fatherof DAVID. The Robert Parks will lists two sons David and John, son-in-law William Harshe(?),Gr.ch. Robert, Mary, Andrew, and John Harshe; and a brother Samuel Parks.

Robert Parks is on both the 1800 and 1810 Census for Beaver Co PA and it is believed this is thesame individual. By 1810, his children had probably left home. But on the 1810 Beaver Co Census,the listing for DAVID PARKS shows him as age 16-26 with one female 26-45; one female under 10;two males under 10. How does this fit in with David Parks / Elizabeth Lance? They had married,but Elizabeth would have been about 19-20 years old and only one child, Margaret -1808 had beenborn. I suggest that more research be done before we say definitely that this "Robert" is thefather of our David.

What about the parentage of Elizabeth Lance? Is she possibly the daughter of Peter Lance?Family researchers believe that the US Census plus other court records prove the link betweenDavid Parks and the Peter Lance family. The Census data from 1800 Washington Co PA; 1810Beaver Co PA; and 1830 Richland Co OH certainly seems to show the movement of Peter Lance from PAto OH. The Administration Record, Richland Co for Peter Lance states that David Parks purchaseda table. Peter Lance died in 1833 and wife Eleanor was administrator along with Harry Lance.On one of the land transfers, Elizabeth Parks is signer.

On the 1850 Census, Elizabeth Lance Parks stated that she was born in New Jersey. Also thereis a strong VanDorn-Parks connection with three marriages between the two families. The parentsof Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Myron were William VanDorn/Esther Newberry. This William VanDorn,son of William VanDorn/Mary Chasey, was born 16 June 1785 in Amboy NJ. He died before 1857 inMorrow Co OH. His wife, Esther, daughter of Jonathan Newberry and Elizabeth ? was born 6 Nov1790 in Columbia Co NY. She died 7 Jan 1872 in Hancock OH. Is it possible that the Parks, Lance,and VanDorn families traveled west together?

Amboy, Middlesex Co NJ is along the east coast close to NY. Columbia Co NY formed in 1786 isfarther north on the east side of the Hudson River. Perhaps the Parks researchers shouldconsider investigating these NJ/NY areas.

What is definite is that the family of David Parks / Elizabeth Lance is documented as beingin Richland Co OH before 1820. They first settled in Mifflin Twp, later moving to Congress Twpwhich became part of Morrow Co when it was formed in 1848. David died in 1834 and was buriedon the family farm in Congress Twp. His widow, Elizabeth died in 1864 and was buried atPleasant Grove Cemetery, Morrow Co OH.

Ralph Sitter is descended from David and Elizabeth's sixth child PERRY who was born on 11 May1822. He fell in love with Mary Ann Perkins when she was very young. Her parents were opposedto the marriage, so the couple eloped to Beaver Co PA where they were married on 27 Dec 1844by a Justice of the Peace.

Perry was a devout Christian, a member of the Disciple Church at Pleasant Grove and for a timehe served as a Circuit Rider for the Church of Christ Disciples.

Although Perry was 42 years of age, he left his wife and family to enlist when the call wentout for 100-day volunteers to man the forts around Washington. This was the summer of 1864when General Grant had assembled all the first line Union troops available at the siege ofPetersburg, leaving Washington DC with just a small force. He was enrolled as a Private inCompany G 136th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Infantry on 2 May 1864 at Camp Chase OH by AAG JohnCraven USA Mustering Officer.

He was with his regiment when the Confederates under the command of General Jubal Early,attacked the city in July 1864. This was the only time Washington was under fire. The OhioRegiment was at Fort Williams and Fort Ellsworth near Alexandria. Perry died on 5 Sep 1888at the family home north of Gilead OH. Sometime after his death, Mary Ann moved to DetroitMI. She was residing there when she applied for a pension as a widow of a Civil War Veteran,but was visiting at the Smith family farm at St Clair Co MI when she died. The family broughther back to Mt Gilead for burial at River Cliff.

Perry's son Milton also served in the Union Army. He gave his age as 18 when he enlistedas a Private on 11 Oct 1862. On 17 Oct 1862 he was mustered into Co I of the OH 120thInfantry. He was listed as a POW 3 May 1864 at Snaggy Pt, Red River LA. He was musteredout 7 July 1865 at Camp Chase OH. Milton was granted a Civil War Pension on 23 Mar 1889.His widow also received a widow's pension.

Perry's daughter Lovina married William Rogers (Ralph's great-grandparents). William wasborn in London England on 18 Aug 1843. He came first to Canada and then to the UnitedStates.

He, too, served in the civil War enlisting on 26 Aug 1861 at Anawan IL and on 30 Aug wasmustered into Co I, IL 27th Infantry. He was discharged for disability on 17 Jul 1862.The 27th Infantry IL Volunteers was organized with only seven companies, at Camp Butler ILon 10 Aug 1861. This Regiment served three years and three months of constant service atthe front before it was ordered to Springfield IL where it was mustered out on 20 Sep 1864.

Ralph once asked his gt aunt, Olive Belle Rogers Weller what her father had done in theCivil War. Her reply was "Oh...he was down south with Grant." Just the two of them togethertaking on the Confederates.

Ralph has visited the battlefield at Belmont, better known as the battle of ColumbusKY/Belmont MO because they are directly across the Mississippi from each other. He was verydisappointed to drive down a dirt road to a stop sign at the river where there were acouple of rusty barges, but no sign or monuments!

He mentioned that the 27th had an interesting adventure at this battle. The Confederatesdrove the Union troops back and this regiment became separated from the rest. It had tomarch some distance by itself back up the river, while under attack, before the transportscould get in close enough to pick them up.

William and Lovina's marriage date is unknown. They were living at Edison OH when theirdaughter, Olive Belle was born. The family later moved to Detroit MI where William'soccupation was that of a casket-wagon driver. These were high wagons loaded with newempty caskets and pulled by a team of horses. On 28 Aug 1896 William was driving one ofthese loaded wagons under a railroad viaduct when a train thundered overhead. Thisfrightened the horses causing them to rear which threw William off the wagon onto thecurb, resulting in his death.

This lineage was the subject of a Missing Links article in the Newsletter, Vol. 37, No. 3, p. 42. David and Elizabeth probably lived in Beaver County, PA after their marriage since their two oldest children were born in PA. It is thought that David Parks was born in 1790 in PA. He came to Richland Co, Ohio sometime before 1820. The family first settled in Mifflin Township, later moving to Congress Twp. which became part of Morrow Co. when it was formed in 1848. David died in 1834 and was buried on the family farm in Congress Township. His wife Elizabeth died in 1864 at the age of 73 and was buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Morrow Co. We do not presently have an active Parke Society member from this large lineage, and no known descendant has volunteered for our DNA Project. Using Internet resources, I have attempted to follow the descendants the ten children of David and Elizabeth. Although a number of those of the Parks surname remained in the general Ohio area of Morrow and Richland Counties, other descendants were found in Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, and Kansas. I did not find any connection to our other Ohio Park/e/s lines. Surnames include: Atkinson, Atchison, Bennett, Case, Casto, Craley, Currens, Davis, Faulk, Fletcher, Graham, Henry, Kemp, Lifer, Marshall, Poland, Richert, Sampsel, Seitz, Smith, Stewart, Stull, Teel, VanDorn, Weaver, Workman, as well as others. Those of the Parks surname consistently used the Parks spelling. David and Elizabeth were the parents of ten children:

Margaret Parks (1808 PA-1868 Kosciusko Co, IN) m. Adam Teel (1805 PA-1868 IN). This couple settled in Kosciukso Co., IN and most of their children remained in this area.

John Parks (1811-1870) m. (1) Margaret Kinkade 1835; m.(2) Abigail James 1848. Decendants continued to live in Morrow Co, Ohio.

Thomas H. Parks (1816-1882) m. Elizabeth VanDorn 1840, daughter of William VanDorn and Esther Newberry. Children found on the Morrow Co., OH census.

Matilda Parks (1818 Mt. Gilead, Morrow Co, OH- 1844) m. William Kemp 1837 Richland Co, OH. There were three sons from this marriage. A direct descendant of Andrew J. Kemp (b.1843 OH) has researched his line but we have been unable to trace his brothers, Van Buren (b. abt. 1841) or Perry Kemp (Camp).

Caroline Parks (1831-?) was widowed young with two children, kept her maiden name. Daughter Sarah Belle (b.1858) mar. -?- Hower but died without issue in 1880. Timothy Parks (b. 1852) is single, living in household of N. Schluck, Morrow Co, OH in 1880.

Lavina Parks (1833- ) m. Jacob Willouer 1865, Morrow Co, OH. three children, two living. In 1900, Lavina and Jacob are living with their daughter's family in Brown, Delaware, OH.

The search continues for the father of David Parks. Some researchers believe the father was Robert Parks of Beaver County, PA; however, Mary Murphy (family researcher) found a Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. on early tax records in Hanover Twp., Beaver Co., PA which has led her to believe Thomas Sr. might be David's father and Thomas Jr. might have been a brother—but there is no documented proof. The given name "Robert" does not appear in the 3rd or 4th generations of this lineage. This manuscript is with Kenneth Parks PS# 1406, Library Custodian.